U.S. patent number 4,869,536 [Application Number 07/218,237] was granted by the patent office on 1989-09-26 for vehicle door latch with secondary fork.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Kiekert GmbH & Co. Kommanditgesellschaft. Invention is credited to Frank Kleefeldt.
United States Patent |
4,869,536 |
Kleefeldt |
September 26, 1989 |
Vehicle door latch with secondary fork
Abstract
A vehicle door latch for use in combination with a door bolt has
a housing formed with a horizontally open recess in which the bolt
is receivable, a latch fork formed with a fork seat, and a fork
pivot to one vertical side of the recess on the housing supporting
the fork for pivoting between a locked position with the seal
directed vertically away from the fork pivot and the bolt engaged
in the seat and an unlocked position permitting the bolt to enter
and exit seat and recess. A latch pawl is pivotal on the housing
into and out of a position retaining the fork in the locked
position. A retaining dog formed with a dog seat is carried on a
dog pivot to the vertical side of the recess on the housing
opposite the fork pivot for pivoting between a retaining position
with the dog seat directed vertically away from the dog pivot and
the bolt engaged in the dog seat as well as in the fork seat, and a
freeing position permitting the bolt to enter and exit the recess.
The bolt is therefore vertically embraced between the fork and dog
seats in the locked position.
Inventors: |
Kleefeldt; Frank (Heiligenhaus,
DE) |
Assignee: |
Kiekert GmbH & Co.
Kommanditgesellschaft (Heiligenhaus, DE)
|
Family
ID: |
6332590 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/218,237 |
Filed: |
July 12, 1988 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
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|
|
|
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Jul 29, 1987 [DE] |
|
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3725074 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
292/210;
292/DIG.56; 292/216; 292/DIG.73; 292/341.12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E05B
77/38 (20130101); E05B 85/26 (20130101); Y10S
292/73 (20130101); Y10S 292/56 (20130101); Y10T
292/1047 (20150401); Y10T 292/688 (20150401); Y10T
292/1092 (20150401) |
Current International
Class: |
E05B
17/00 (20060101); E05B 65/32 (20060101); E05C
003/04 () |
Field of
Search: |
;292/216,DIG.56,DIG.23,DIG.38,DIG.73,DIG.40,DIG.60,198,210,220,341.12 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Smith; Gary L.
Assistant Examiner: Milano; Michael J.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Dubno; Herbert Wilford; Andrew
Claims
I claim:
1. A vehicle door latch for use in combination with a door bolt,
the latch comprising:
a housing formed with a horizontally open recess in which the bolt
is receivable;
a latch fork formed with a fork seat;
a fork pivot to one vertical side of the recess on the housing
supporting the fork for pivoting between a locked position with the
seat directed vertically away from the fork pivot and the bolt
engaged in the seat and an unlocked position permitting the bolt to
enter and exit the seat and the recess;
a latch pawl pivotal on the housing into and out of a position
retaining the fork in the locked position;
a retaining dog formed with a dog seat;
a dog pivot to the vertical side of the recess on the housing
opposite the fork pivot and supporting the dog for pivoting between
an inner retaining position with the dog seat directed vertically
away from the dog pivot and the bolt engaged in the dog seat as
well as in the fork seat, and an outer freeing position permitting
the bolt to enter and exit the recess, the bolt being vertically
embraced between the fork and dog seats in the locked position, the
fork pivot and the dog pivot vertically flanking the fork and dog
seats in the locked and retaining positions thereof;
an outer abutment on the housing engaging the dog only in the outer
freeing position thereof; and
an elastic bumper fixed on the housing at the base of the notch and
forming an inner abutment against which the dog rests only in the
inner retaining position thereof, whereby in the locked and
retaining position the bolt bears upward via the fork and fork
pivot on the housing, downward via the dog and dog pivot on the
housing, inward via the dog and bumper on the housing, and outward
via the fork and pawl on the housing.
2. The latch defined in claim 1 wherein the dog pivot carries a
resilient sleeve in turn carrying the dog.
3. The latch defined in claim 1 wherein the fork pivot is above the
recess and the dog pivot below it.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a door latch for a motor vehicle.
More particularly this invention concerns a door latch carried on a
door and cooperating with a bolt mounted on a door post.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A standard motor-vehicle door latch mounted on an outer door edge
has latching mechanism comprised mainly of a fork that can in a
locked position engage around a jamb-mounted bolt and hold the door
closed, and that can in an unlocked position release this bolt. The
latching mechanism also normally has a pawl that is used to block
the fork in the locked position, the fork being spring-loaded to
move into the unlocked position when released by this pawl.
Typically the fork has an outer arm and an inner arm forming a
retaining seat between themselves. The fork is oriented in a
vertical plane with the two arms pointing down and the seat also
open down. The pivot axis is of course above the seat and between
an upward extension of the arms so that the fork pivots between a
downwardly and outwardly open position when open and a downwardly
and inwardly open position when closed. In the locked position it
engages downward over the bolt, normally with same fitting solidly
in the seat between the fork arms. The latch is enclosed in a
housing formed with a notch at which the seat between the fork arms
is exposed in all positions, and the bolt has an enlarged head
wider than the notch. In the locked position outward movement of
the bolt is limited by the outer arm of the fork, upward movement
by engagement with the seat of the fork, inward movement by the
interfit of the door and post, and downward movement by the lower
edge of the notch of the latch housing.
It is therefore standard to fit the door to the vehicle such that
the bolt bears upward with some slight force on the fork in the
locked position. Thus elastic deformation of the parts constitutes
a prestressing action keeping the bolt snug in the latch when the
door is locked. Even if the bolt is a little high, this only makes
it a particularly tight fit, but still lets the door close and
latch properly. When a little low. However, the bolt will not
contact the downwardly directed surface of the seat between the
fork arms and will likely move vertically somewhat as the car hits
bumps. The resultant rattel not only is annoying, but can be
indicative of considerable wear taking place.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an
improved motor-vehicle door latch.
Another object is the provision of such a motor-vehicle door latch
which overcomes the above-given disadvantages, that is which locks
snugly and that accepts substantial misalignment between the latch
bolt and the fork.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A vehicle door latch for use in combination with a door bolt
according to this invention has a housing formed with a
horizontally open recess in which the bolt is receivable, a latch
fork formed with a fork seat, and a fork pivot to one vertical side
of the recess on the housing supporting the fork for pivoting
between a locked position with the seat directed vertically away
from the fork pivot and the bolt engaged in the seat and an
unlocked position permitting the bolt to enter and exit the seat
and recess. A latch pawl is pivotal on the housing into and out of
a position retaining the fork in the locked position. A retaining
dog formed with a dog seat is carried on a dog pivot to the
vertical side of the recess on the housing opposite the fork pivot
for pivoting between a retaining position with the dog seat
directed vertically away from the dog pivot and the bolt engaged in
the dog seat as well as in the fork seat, and a freeing position
permitting the bolt to enter and exit the recess. The bolt is
therefore vertically embraced between the fork and dog seats in the
locked position.
According to this invention therefore as the bolt moves into the
latch it engages both of the seats and, as necessary, is pushed
down by the seat of the fork or up by the seat of the dog to end in
an exactly aligned and centered position. Thus the lock of this
invention can compensate for a door set too low as well as one set
too high. An advantage of this is that the standard
overcompensation of setting the door too high need no longer be
done; instead the door is set as close as possible on center.
The mechanism of this invention is essentially passive. The dog
need not be connected to the latch mechanism at all so that it adds
nothing significant to the cost of the latch incorporating it. On
the other hand it ensures accurate closing and holding of the door
and will surely eliminate rattling.
According to another feature of this invention the dog is pivotal
between an inner position corresponding to the retaining position
and an outer position corresponding to the locked position and the
housing is provided with respective inner and outer abutments
engageable with the dog in the respective positions. Moreover, the
inner abutment against which the dog lies in the locked position is
provided with an elastic bumper engaging the dog. The dog pivot
carries a resilient sleeve in turn carrying the dog.
In accordance with this invention the pivots are vertically aligned
and vertically flank the recess. The fork pivot is above the recess
and the dog pivot below it.
DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The above and other objects, features, and advantages will become
more apparent from the following, reference being made to the
accompanying drawing whose sole figure is a vertical section
through the latch according to this invention.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
As seen in the drawing a vehicle door latch usable on any style of
motor vehicle has a housing 1 formed with a horizontally and
outwardly open notch or cutout 2 into which the bolt 3 can engage
and carries a standard lock fork 4 pivoted on a pin 6 centered on
an axis 6A and formed offset from this axis 6A with a radially and
downwardly open seat 12 defined between an outer leg 15 and an
inner leg 16. A lock pawl 7 can engage against either of two
detents 8 or 9 of the fork 4 in the manner well known in the art to
retain it against the force of a spring 17 in a partially or fully
locked position, thereby capturing and retaining the bolt 3. As
described above, the bolt 3, as it enters the notch or recess 2,
engages the inner leg 16 and rotates the fork 4 back into the
illustrated position, with this bolt 4 coming to rest in the seat
12 formed between the two arms 15 and 16. This structure is all
standard.
According to this invention the lock housing 1 is provided with a
pivot pin 11 centered on an axis 11A carrying via an elastic sleeve
15 a retaining dog 10 formed with a seat 18 of the same radius of
curvature as the seat 12 which is the same radius as the outside
surface of the bolt 3. The axis 11A is directly below the center of
the bolt 3 in the closed position and the axis 6A directly above
it, and the two seats 12 and 18 are concentric and engage the bolt
respectively downward and upward. In addition the inner end of the
notch 2 is provided with a bumper 14 that engages the inner surface
of the dog 10 and the housing 1 is also formed with a stop 13 that
limits outward pivoting of the dog 10.
Thus according top this invention as the bolt 3 moves into the
notch 2 it not only engages the arm 16 and pivots the fork 4
counterclockwise, it also engages in the opposite seat 18 of the
dog 10 and rotates it clockwise until it comes to rest against the
elastic bumper 14. In this position the bolt 3 is effectively and
snugly embraced between the seat 12 of the fork 3 and the seat 18
of the dog 10. The positions of the two pivots 6 and 11 are such
that the bolt 3 is thus held solidly with modest compression of the
sleeve 15. In this manner if the door carrying the bolt 3 is set a
little to high or a little too low, the respective seat 12 or 18
will push the bolt 3 into the desired position.
Since the dog 10 is a wholly passive element which can at most be
urged rotationally counterclockwise by a torque spring it adds very
little to the cost of the latch it is provided on. At the same time
it surely and accurately embraces the bolt both from the top and
from the bottom to compensate for minor up-and-down misalignments
between the door and the latch.
* * * * *